


Guardian Devils

by Valaks



Category: Alex Rider - Anthony Horowitz
Genre: Alex Rider is Hallucinating, Alex Rider is So Done, Fluff and Crack, Guardian Angels, He Hopes, Ian Rider’s Questionable Parenting, Ian as well, Mission Fic, Yassen is too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:27:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25133122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valaks/pseuds/Valaks
Summary: Alex didn’t really believe in God but he felt oddly like the cartoons with an angel and devil on his shoulder. He was pretty sure if there was a hell Yassen had definitely gone there but experience taught him making it in this business, even on the ‘good’ side, wouldn’t exactly make Ian Rider a saint either. Maybe they were both devils sent to torment him? He certainly felt like he was in hell.
Relationships: Ian Rider/Yassen Gregorovich
Comments: 6
Kudos: 103





	Guardian Devils

“Alex” He knew that voice but he really did not want to wake up. It was bound to hurt. A lot.

“Alex” the voice again and why was it so familiar and irritating if he was honest. He wanted to sleep.

Then it hit him.

“Ian?” His head whipped around toward the voice, ignoring the aching pain from the beating he had just received. His uncle was there, a small figure on his shoulder glowing an ethereal white. His brain stopped firing.

Was he dead?

Had they killed him? They would have had to. The pain all over him said no though. Maybe he was hallucinating. Dehyrdration could be a bitch. At least Ian’s company would be pleasant as far as hallucinations go.

“Captured again?” Of fucking course Yassen would be part of his hallucination too.

“At least I’m not dead.” He snapped back.

“Yet.” Yassen corrected.

“How do you know him, Alex?” Ian said coldly

“After he murdered you we ran into each other a few times.”

“How? And how are you not dead?”

“MI6 recruited me to finish your mission.” He shrugged and another jolt of pain washed over him.

Ian bit out a string of curses. Ian never cursed. Definitely a hallucination then. Granted your 14 year old nephew working for MI6 on a dangerous mission that you failed would be curse worthy, he supposed.

“And how are you still alive?”

“Luck.” Yassen chimed in and Alex glared at him

“Doesn’t explain why you didn’t kill him. Were you going soft in your old age, Gregorovich?”

“Seeing as I met him a few weeks after killing you I would say no. I do not kill children. At least ones that are physically their age, mentally and you would have been safe.” That was oddly personal or even his hallucinations had a mouth on them. The thought had potential.

Ian ignored it and pressed on “Did you complete the mission?”

“Yes, your map was helpful, thanks for that by the way.”

“Then why are you here?”

“MI6 recruited me. Multiple missions. This would be my 9th.” He hesitated. Did ones like SCORPIA or Cray count? And then there were all the smaller things he got into...“Kind of.”

“You’re not much older than when I left.” Ian apparently disapproved. Alex did too and Yassen so it was a nice little club meeting then.

“No, I’m 15 now. I think. Depends on how long I’ve been down here for.”

“And you’ve been on 9 missions already? Just recon, right?”

Yassen gave a bitter laugh “Not quite. Your friends had him tangled up in some rather serious matters. I imagine that hadn’t changed. Still haven’t learned to say no, little Alex?”

“Still haven’t had the option, Yassen.” He snapped

“What?!” It was both of them. They were angry and he really didn’t have time to deal with this right now.

“Look I really need to get out of here. Can you guys help or are you just here for the entertainment?”

Yassen let out a long suffering sigh “There is a nail sticking out the wall behind you about 18 centimeters to the right. Are you able to move your arms enough to create friction?”

He tested them. They were sore but not broken or dislocated. He settled with a nod and shifted his chair back as quietly as he could. This was probably a hallucination but just in case…he felt along the wall. Nothing.

“Over 4 more centimeters to the right and up.” Ian ordered

Alex obeyed and was relieved when he closed over the rusty nail. He would probably be due for a tetanus shot or 6 after this. Once he escaped. But if the nail was there then this wasn’t a hallucination and that was somehow worse. He got to work on sawing the rope against the nail.

He didn’t believe in God but he felt oddly like the cartoons with an angel and devil on his shoulder. He was pretty sure if there was a hell Yassen had definitely gone there but experience taught him that making it in this business, even on the ‘good’ side, wouldn’t exactly make Ian Rider a saint either. Maybe they were both devils sent to torment him. He certainly felt like it with their bickering. If he wasn’t painfully aware that he was alive right now he might say that he was the one in hell. Or insane. That was a possibility as well.

“You two seem to know each other well? Get cozy in hell?” He tested

“Hardly” Yassen rolled his eyes “We were lovers a long time ago.”

Alex’s eyes widened. “You killed your ex boyfriend?” He had no idea why that was the first thing he latched onto in that statement. Definitely insane.

“The job had its perks.” Yassen shrugged.

“But Ian you weren’t gay.”

“At the time I wasn’t sure. I am...was asexual more than anything. Surely you noticed that I never brought anyone home.”

“I thought you were too busy back then or just being a good parent.”

“Don’t flatter him, Alex, he raised you to be a spy.”

“I gave him what he needed to survive if something were to happen and one of my enemies came calling. Like you.”

“Speaking of surviving, any tips.”

“Move your arms 45 degrees, you have two more centimeters and then the rope should be free.” Yassen said clinically.

“I understand that I’m almost free of the ropes.” He whispered harshly unsure if anyone could hear them. They could likely hear him but might think he’s hallucinating. He probably was. There had been an injection. The thought that he might actually not be insane calmed him. It also meant they would go away eventually which was equally assuring. “but there’s the small matter of getting out of the room.”

Not to be out done Ian spoke up. “Your shoulders are too broad for the vent. The grate might be an option but I can’t tell from here. Likely the door, did you ever learn how to pick locks?”

“You never taught him how to pick locks, did you actually want him to be able to escape or not?”

“If he was captured and stuck in a locked room remaining there until reinforcements could arrive was safer than him trying to out class grown men twice his size.”

“And just how were you to know where he was to come and save the day.” Yassen was quite funny  
without the inhibitions of being a cold hearted assassin. Alex rather enjoyed him like this.

“Microchip.”

“Like a dog?!” He and Yassen spoke at the same time.

“Don’t be so crass, Smithers worked very hard on them.”

“Them? Multiple?”

“One at a time, we updated them yearly on your birthday.”

“I don’t remember that.”

“I should hope not, we put yoU under for it.”

“So MI6 knows my location then?”

“Probably. Unless they took it out in the last year. A spy with a tracking device is only useful so long as they aren’t caught. Your track record for that doesn’t appear to be impressive.”

He hated the man. Really did. “Yeah, thankfully I’ve developed a talent at escapes.”

“Then why do you need our help, you should be an expert by now, Little Alex.”

He hated Yassen too, now that he thought about it.

“Stop being petty, there’s no need to rub it in. Not all of us get to hide behind a scope, some of us have to get our hands dirty.” Alex let out a sigh of relief as the rope finally snapped and he pulled his wrists free. He moved on to the knots at his ankles.

“Yes, being a contract killer is so easy. It’s not like I’ve ever been captured.”

“You have?” Alex asked, somehow surprised at the news. Yassen had always seemed untouchable to him.

“Of course. It’s an occupational hazard. In my 15 year career I was captured…” he paused thoughtfully “significantly less than Alex’s few months.”

If he wasn’t dead already he would kill him.

The ropes at his ankles dropped free. “Can we focus on escape again?”

“Go to the grate, let’s see what you have to work with.” Ian ordered. Alex didn’t obey immediately, doing his best to pull the nail from the wall with a hollow thunk. He froze but breathed a sigh of relief when there was no reaction. “That would be why I said to go to the grate first in case you didn’t need it.”

Alex rolled his eyes. “And how was I going to pick the lock? Magic?”

Yassen didn’t say anything but he could almost feel the man’s smug smirk. He pointedly ignored it and studied the grate. The cover would easily come off but his shoulders would be too broad to fit through the pipe.

“No Shawshank Redemption crawl for you, little Alex.”

“How do you know that reference?” He didn’t imagine that Yassen would have the time to sit through a movie. Or the patience, at least not without cleaning an armory of guns.

“It’s a classic. The Countess would have covered it had you gone to SCORPIA.”

“I did. We didn’t get to that part.”

“Then you should be able to pick the lock on the door. It’s sophisticated but would have been covered by your training.” Alex moved over to it.

Ian finally seemed to catch up “You went to SCORPIA?!”

“Yeah, someone forgot to mention that Dad worked for them. And was killed by them. That second part would have been helpful.” He said as he moved to the wall and pulled another few nails.

“You sent him to the organization his father double crossed?” Alex idly listened to the conversation as he struggled to flatten the ends of the nails against the concrete floor.

“I was under the impression he died on Albert Bridge at MI6s hand. If I had known I probably wouldn’t have mentioned it.”

“Probably?” He chipped in

“MI6 is no better. SCORPIA would at least provide you training. They are a business and would see a teenage assassin as an investment.”

“Yeah, unless one of the Board members harbored a grudge.” He whispered as he moved over to start unscrewing the handle.

“Rothman?”

“You knew her?”

“I worked under her. She was a bitch but I assumed she would not be so petty.”

“If it wasn’t for her I would probably still be with them.” He mused, no sense in hiding it. “They treated me well except for the whole trying to have me and every other child in Britain murdered thing at the end. Bit of a deal breaker there.”

“What happened to her?”

“Dead.”

“You killed her?” Ian demanded

“Not directly.” He said distractedly

“You weren’t able to pull the trigger either were you?”

“Not then. Necessity has changed things a few times...” He paused “wait, either?”

“I wasn’t always an assassin, Alex. I had to start somewhere. I failed my first two missions for SCORPIA because I couldn’t kill.”

“What happened?”

“Things changed. I had the right motivation. You have obviously found it too.”

“If by motivation you mean someone pointing a gun at me while I happen to have found one too. Then yeah. It’s more instinct than anything else.”

“My nephew is an assassin.” Ian said mournfully

“No he’s not and not by any credit to your questionable parenting skills.”

Fuck. The lock wasn’t disengaging “Yassen?” He said pleadingly

“Why are you asking him?”

“Because I am a far better role model than you. And I have already indicated that I am familiar with the lock. Lift the second nail up and to the right just a hair.”

“You are not a better role model.”

“I didn’t train him to work for MI6 and I’m not the one who had my cover blown and was killed in the field.”

“You were too.” Alex whispered, breathing a sigh of relief as the door clicked.

“Do you want help or not?” Yassen said sharply and Alex held up his hands in supplication. “There’s a guard outside to the right. Knock him out and take his gun.”

“How do you know?”

“I can hear his breathing. He’s fighting sleep so you should have the advantage of stealth.”

He eased the door open just enough to see the large man sitting in a wooden chair, head nodding down slightly.

Too muscled for Alex to do a choke hold, it would have to be a pressure point. An elbow to the temple should do it. He threw the door open the rest of the way and lashed out. He was rewarded with a satisfying crack and the man fell heavily to the floor.

“A little sloppy.” Ian commented

“Are you two seriously going to critique my form?! I’m fighting for my life!” He snapped as he pulled the man’s pistol and checked it over

“All the more reason you should be precise, little Alex. I do see you’ve kept up with your SCORPIA training at least.”

“Had a lot of practice, not as easy to hit up the dojo in the field.” He murmured, searching through his pockets and grinning when he produced a pair of keys. He turned to the body and sighed. He was too injured for any kind of carry. Dragging it was.

“Have you even been home at all in the last year?”

“A few days, a week here or there. No more than you were.” He said, voice tense with effort as he lifted the man’s torso.

“I was an adult and not in school.”

“You were also a parent. You left him alone that much.”

“He had a housekeeper.”

“Can you guys use your powers or whatever to get me out of here?”

“Knowing where ‘here’ is might help.”

“If they haven’t moved me then I’m probably somewhere in Duval’s Chalet.”

Yassen muttered a few curses in his mother tongue.

“You shouldn’t cuss in front of a child.” Alex pointed out, as he made the turn into the doorway of the cell.

“How do you know Russian?”

“I don’t, I just know the curses. Now getting out of here?”

“Assuming nothing has changed since I visited last. I can guide you.”

“Wait you’ve been here before.”

“It’s the home and office of a SCORPIA board member. I was one of their most valued assets.” Alex supposed it made sense “why are you here?”

“Good question.” Ian said firmly, disapproval evident. Which he really had no right to, honestly.

“SCORPIA took things personally when I killed Rothman and Nile and stopped their operation.”

“You killed Nile?” There was a hint of respect there

“Don’t give me that much credit. His fear of heights did most of the work.” Alex finally set the body heavily down and leaned against the wall for a second, catching his breath. “Which way do I go?”

“Down the hallway to the left. You’ll need the key card and his eye if you want to make things easy.” Alex grimaced “He’s dead anyway, Alex, SCORPIA doesn’t tolerate failure.”

“And the hard way?”

“You shoot out the retina lens and lose the advantage of surprise and your chance of escape when the entire building locks down.”

“I can drag the body…”

“...Hope he doesn’t wake up and lift him 5 feet to the scanner, don’t be delusional.” He felt like he already was.

“Just kill him, Alex, it would be a mercy.” Ian said tiredly and Alex shot him a surprised look.

“You want me to murder someone?”

“I want you to live. I’d rather you didn’t have to make this choice at all but it’s too late for that. It’s kill or be killed.”

“You would?”

“In a heart beat.”

He turned to Yassen as if he didn't already know what the man would say “So would your father if it’s any consolation.” Yassen offered. Apparently he didn’t. Today was full of surprises.

Alex took a steadying breath, and took out the gun, holding it like it was an extension of himself, grip loose but firm, eyes closed, target in mind, trying to ignore the shaking in his hands...

“Alex watch out!” Yassen yelled and the gun discharged.

“What?” He snapped his head around suddenly aware. Then his eyes narrowed “you tricked me.”

“You were losing your nerve. The eye. Now. Before they come to find out about the gun shot.”

“Will they?” Ian asked

“It’s unlikely the walls are soundproof but if there’s another guard….”

Alex took another breath and grabbed the combat knife. His companions didn’t speak while he extracted the eye.

“There, happy?”

“No. Not until you’re out of here.” Ian returned

“What do I have to look forward to by the way?” He asked, pushing back the feeling of nausea that always came with a direct kill.

“If I’m right you’re in the basement of the original chalet which is now the guest house. The cells are too rudimentary for the proper one which means you were either caught sneaking in or out but they didn’t know who you were.”

“Out. I pretended to be a kid on an adventure expedition who got lost.”

“And they believed you?” Ian asked

“Would you believe in a 14 year old spying?”

The man was silent but Yassen seemed content to fill it “There would be no need to had Ian done his job correctly.”

“The raising me part or the not getting killed part?” He asked vindictively. He hadn’t talked back to Ian much as a child. He could savor this bit of teenage rebellion. Especially since it was only a hallucination.

“Both.” Yassen said approvingly. “Now slide the key card and get the eye as close to the scanner as you can. If it picks up any of the background…”

“I know, I know.” Alex huffed and moments later the door buzzed and he held it just enough to keep the lock from reengaging “Where to now?”

“Right. Then up the stairs to the left.”

A quick glance down the hallway revealed it to be empty and he ran down it, keeping the gun aimed at the ground in front of him.

“You never told us why you’re here.”

“Oh. I killed Duval.”

“I thought you said he wasn’t an assassin.” Ian demanded

“He’s not, if he was we wouldn’t have had the show in the cell. He’s a killer, just not cold blooded.” Yassen pointed out “Right.” He ordered as Alex came to a T in the hallway.

“And how did killing Duval lead to you getting caught and not killed or recognized?”

“Because what’s left of SCORPIA, namely Dr. Three currently believes he is holding Alex Rider hostage in Myanmar.”

“And why do they believe that?” he could feel Yassen’s arched eyebrow

“Clone.” He shrugged “which way?”

“Left, right,”

“Down” Ian interrupted and Alex dropped to the floor, just missing a hail of bullets. He picked off the two guards and took off at a run.

“Right. So your clone was captured and is likely being torn apart by Dr. Three.”

“Probably not. The Brimstones should spare him before any real torture starts.”

“You shot a missive at Dr. Three’s home?”

“He has a clone and that’s your concern?”

Alex ignored Ian’s question, spinning into an empty doorway and allowing 4 guards to go running by. “We knew he would have my clone taken there the moment he was discovered. A homing beacon in his chest cavity would take care of the rest.”

“So you allowed MI6 to kill your clone to get at Dr. Three?”

“Duval and Dr. Three were arranging for dirty bombs to go off in several cities around the globe including London. As the resident SCORPIA expert I got called in to stop it and my clone was a dick, him getting killed for real this time was a bonus. I’m not all that upset about it.”

“Except for the getting captured part.” Ian smirked

“Occupational hazard and worth it if I can take down SCORPIA for good.”

“Revenge is healthy” Yassen said with a hint of approval.

“Figured you’d be upset about me taking out your employer.”

“I was an assassin, Alex, I wasn’t loyal to anything or anyone.”

“Oh, so getting killed to save me was your idea of a good time?”

“You what?” Ian asked in a mix of shock and amusement

“Say another word about it, Alex, and I’m leaving you to your fate.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” He murmured thinking back to the bull fight.”

“You could make it out without him at this point, Alex.” Ian tempted.

“Yeah but do I want to?” Yassen obviously didn’t want the story told and while it would be fun to give the assassin a hard time it really wasn’t worth it right now.

“I raised you for 14 years I would expect a little more loyalty.”

“Maybe when I’m not trying to escape from the house of a SCORPIA board member I just killed?”

“It’s not his house, it’s the guest quarters and your way out is not much farther - up the stairs and you’ll arrive in the main living room then you’ll head straight until you see the entry way to the right. So how did you kill Duval?” Yassen asked with obvious interest

“I’ll tell you when you let me tell Ian.”

The assassin huffed but the two remained mercifully silent as he took out the guards at the top of the stairs. He grabbed their pistols, tucking them into his waistband and took off again. The sound of heavy boots coming toward him was all the warning he got. He dove across the hall into a room just as more gunfire erupted.

“Alright that plan isn’t going to work. He eyed the window of the quaint bedroom and sprinted over. First floor. He would even have to jump but it was sealed, no opening it. He took a few steps back...

“Kick it out, don’t be dramatic about it.” Yassen lectured then rounded on Ian as Alex obeyed, “Did you teach him to be reckless or is that something you failed to cover when you discussed what not to do?”

“Pretty sure it’s genetic.”

Yassen murmured something, likely in agreement.

“We did, however, go over how to break through a window.” Ian said disapprovingly

“That was 2 years ago and a lot has happened.” Alex protested as he stepped into the grass and took off down the side of the house.

“At least you paid attention when we discussed escape techniques.” He sighed

“Not. The. Time.” He panted.

“Do you have an RV Point?”

“Yeah, SAS troop just over by the lake.”

“Then you’ll need to head back the way you came and turn left into the woods when you get to the edge of the main house. You should be fine from there” he said with a tone of finality

“Wait. You’re leaving?” He said, stopping in the shadow of the building. He was more disappointed at that then he’d willingly admit to anyone.

“You’ll be safe which means we have to go.”

“So what, are you my guardian angels or just a hallucination?”

Yassen smirked “That’s for you to decide, little Alex.”

Ian chimed in “They haven’t made their mind up about you yet, so maybe try to be good and not to become an assassin”

“Don’t lie to him, Ian, you’ve done enough of that when you were living.”

“I had to keep him safe from people like you.” Ian said with no small degree of exasperation.

“So will you be back?” He asked, tone pleading and pitiful even to his own ears.

Yassen cocked his head “You miss us” something must have given him away because Yassen smiled and Alex allowed himself to believe there was a hint of fondness in his eyes

“You’ll see us again.” Ian assured. “Now run” and then they were gone.

What the hell had just happened? Gunfire erupted behind him and he dived into the tree line. No time to figure it out now


End file.
